Government spending deadline looms as Trump attempts to cancel nearly $5B in foreign aid

Congress must approve new government spending by Sept. 30 to avoid a shutdown, but bipartisan support is needed. That might be tough, with the White House pushing to claw back funds already approved by lawmakers.

President Trump is pushing to cancel $4.9 billion in foreign aid using a “pocket rescission,” a move that bypasses Congress. The proposed cuts include $3.2 billion from USAID Development Assistance and $322 million from the USAID Democracy Fund.

Republican Senate Appropriations Chair Susan Collins (R.-Maine) criticized the White House’s plan, saying it infringes on Congress’s power of the purse. Senate Democratic Leader Chuck Schumer called the move unlawful.

The cuts come as Republicans try to pass new government spending. They’ll need 60 votes in the Senate to pass government spending, facing potential roadblocks from Democrats. But Democrats oppose the “Big Beautiful Bill,” which cuts Medicaid spending and extends tax cuts.

Vice President JD Vance has highlighted the bill’s tax benefits for working families.

As lawmakers prepare to address these issues, the potential for a government shutdown looms large, with significant political and economic implications.

All facts in this report were gathered by journalists employed by Nexstar. Artificial intelligence tools were used to reformat from a broadcast script into a news article for our website. This report was edited and fact-checked by Nexstar staff before being published